Video technology company Unified Streaming has launched Unified Remix VOD2Live, a new product that it says enables OTT providers to present VOD programming in new curatable linear channels.
The approach to presenting VOD content in the form of linear channels is designed to replicate the lean-back TV experience and enable easier discovery.
According to Unified Streaming, Remix VOD2Live addresses the ongoing popularity and resulting advertising opportunities of live television, citing YouGov data for the US that shows that viewers there spend four hours more watching live TV per week compared to VOD or catch up.
Combined with data from Statista which shows that on average there were 16 minutes of ad breaks per hour on primetime networks in Q1 2019, Unified Streaming said that presenting VOD content as a live channel can enable providers to generate significantly more viewing time and an extra hour of ad spots per viewer per week.
One of the OTT providers using Remix VOD2Live in Beta is French OTT aggregator Alcihimie, whose partners include Arte, France TV and ZDF Enterprises. The company is using Remix VOD2Live to further utilize the VOD catalogue of one of its customers and add new advertising opportunities.
Simon Westbroek, VP Global Sales at Unified Streaming said: “By turning the VOD experience into a live one, Remix VOD2Live sets a new standard for streamed live channels in what is a win-win for both the viewer and streaming provider. We are providing viewers with their much-loved content in a format they prefer while also increasing advertising opportunities for the provider. On top of that we’re reducing cost to market by skipping the set-up of a full broadcast chain.”
David Amiot, CTO at Alchimie, said: “Alchimie’s philosophy is built on providing viewers with a better content experience – whether that’s through curated content experiences or through monetization methods that fit with their expectations. Remix VOD2Live offers an efficient tool for dynamically delivering virtually unlimited linear channels to the right audience with the linear experience of advertising.”